Twee portretten van Ella en Winny Uhlenbeck, Nunspeet 1909

Editor: Here we see "Twee portretten van Ella en Winny Uhlenbeck, Nunspeet", two portraits by Carolina (Loentje) Frederika Onnen from 1909. It's a photography album page. The photos feel like they capture a specific moment, with these women seemingly in their element. What's your take on this piece? Curator: Well, the immediate thing that strikes me is how carefully staged these seemingly candid shots are. Notice the influence of pictorialism; it's a conscious attempt to elevate photography to the level of painting through soft focus and atmospheric effects, as if it's from a family snapshot but meticulously constructed. Why do you think Onnen chose this style? Editor: I guess pictorialism gave photography more artistic credibility at the time? Made it more than just documentation? Curator: Exactly. Photography, at the time, struggled for acceptance as high art, often viewed as a purely mechanical process. Onnen, and others embracing pictorialism, deliberately sought to blur those lines, claiming artistic control through printing processes and staging subjects. Look at the rural setting – these aren't studio portraits. How does the integration of the subjects into a natural backdrop influence our reading? Editor: It feels like she’s trying to create an idyllic vision, fitting the figures into the landscape harmoniously, idealizing the sitter's lifestyle? Almost like a scene from a play. Curator: Precisely! By carefully framing these women within the Nunspeet landscape, Onnen seems to subtly craft their identity, or at least present how they wish to be perceived. Does it change your interpretation of it as a simple portrait? Editor: Absolutely, I now view it less as a snapshot and more as a statement of artistic intent, and these women choosing how they wished to be seen within the setting! Curator: It reveals so much about the photographer’s aspirations and the subject’s self-fashioning within a particular cultural context. Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way, fascinating. Thanks for sharing your perspective!